Tuscan White Bean Spinach (Printable)

A hearty blend of white beans, spinach, and herbs in a warm, savory Tuscan broth.

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
02 - 1 medium yellow onion, diced
03 - 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
04 - 2 celery stalks, diced
05 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
06 - 4 cups fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped

→ Beans & Broth

07 - 2 cans (15 oz each) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
08 - 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

→ Flavorings

09 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
10 - 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
11 - 1 bay leaf
12 - 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
13 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Garnish

14 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
15 - Lemon wedges for serving, optional

# Directions:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add diced onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté for 6 to 7 minutes until softened and translucent.
02 - Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add cannellini beans, vegetable broth, dried thyme, dried rosemary, bay leaf, red pepper flakes if using, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a simmer.
04 - Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure even cooking and flavor distribution.
05 - Carefully remove and discard the bay leaf from the soup.
06 - Using a potato masher or the back of a spoon, gently mash some of the beans in the pot to release their starches and thicken the soup slightly.
07 - Stir in chopped spinach and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until wilted and vibrant green.
08 - Taste the soup and adjust salt, pepper, and other seasonings as needed to achieve desired flavor balance.
09 - Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with fresh chopped parsley and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's ready in 45 minutes but tastes like it simmered all day, which is honestly the best kind of lie a soup can tell.
  • Every spoonful feels nourishing without requiring any complicated technique or fancy ingredients you'll never use again.
  • The beans break down just enough to make the broth silky, but some stay whole so there's actual texture happening.
02 -
  • Don't skip rinsing the canned beans because that cloudy liquid is starch that will make your soup feel gluey and heavy instead of clean and bright.
  • The moment the spinach goes from raw to wilted is about 90 seconds—add it too early and it loses color and texture, add it too late and your soup is already cooling.
03 -
  • If you want it creamier, blend one cup of finished soup separately and stir it back in—it becomes velvet without losing any of the texture.
  • Make a double batch and freeze half in portions because something this easy to reheat shouldn't be something you only make once a month.
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